Los Angeles over the years...

Ten years ago, I made my first adventure on a plane and it was to Los Angeles. The city of angels, I am so glad that I have come out here a few times since that fateful flight. I recall I was very goal oriented and my patient friend Sheri was a consummate hostess and patient with me at that time.

I managed to do alot while spending four nights and five days in LA (plus my other great friend and buddy Jennifer too who was another great hostess). I even got to stop by UCLA to see and crash one night with Wendy too.

Since then every time, I always try to see all my good friends here. Along the way I have visited some of the museums---LA County Art Museum, Japanese American Museum, La Brea Tar Pits, The Getty, The Huntington Gardens, MOCA to name a few. I even got to see a show at the EAST WEST PLAYERS , I had to after hearing it is the premier Asian American theater (do not have alot of those in the North East). Or even take day trips to Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, San Diego along with strolls around Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Downtown, Chinatown, Japan town, Old Town Pasadena were lots of fun. I even visited the requisite Universal Studies, Magic Mountain (Six Flags) but not Disney Land (surprisingly enough) as well as the Halloween celebration at Knotts Berry Farm. I did take the VIP Warner Brothers Studio Tour which I thought was cool and my hostess begged the guy to allow me on the tour as it was full. Thanks to her powers of persuasion, I am indebted to her!

Oh the food, I love the cheap, good and accessible ethnic food. Korea town is a haven for delicious Korean BBQ (Kalbi, Bulgogi YUM!), Monterrey Park (Taiwanese and Cantonese Fare abound---also San Gabriel, Alhambra has some good eats too), OC (Vietnamese food is the bomb here---seven courses of beef or fish as well as the standard Pho, fresh spring rolls), Japan town (shabu shabu, sushi can be had everywhere, curry, ramen) or even Thai town (fabulous tom yum soup, curries, pad thai etc). Burgers abound in the land of many gyms---from the local fave In'N'Out (no matter what style you want from "animal" to "protein wrap") to recently listed on GQ magazine top 20 burger joints to try COUNTER in Santa Monica (they even have burger in a bowl, their onion rings (more like onion strings) were fabulous!

My first time at Cheesecake Factory (the chain that satisfies many people's cravings), before it hit the east coast by storm I went to one at Fashion Island in Irvine. Or of course, many go shopping at South Coast Plaza where lots of expensive shops and boutiques reside (if you want to avoid the uber snooty Beverly Hills).

I adore karaoke in Ktown, lots of fun and many choices to sing songs and to choose from DIGITAL format. The only place that I go for Asian karaoke in Boston (actually Allston, MA) is Do Re Mi, a classic place but using the LD format and taking forever to correct mistakes is NOT fun. There has been an influx of new places, I need to check them out. But the best memories of karaoke for me are in Asia and LA.

Los Angeles is so spread out and I find that there is ALWAYS traffic. It was the place where I heard more profanity than anywhere else, I guess the traffic really gets to you here. I found that very interesting indeed.